Suction cleaner nozzle



Sept. 21, 1937. SMITH 2,093,741

SUCTION CLEANER NOZZLE Filed Dec. 28, 1955 INVENTOR Edwin L. Smith ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 21, 1937 UNITED STATS A'EET QFEQE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to suction cleaner nozzles and more particularly to an improvement in the construction of such nozzles.

In the past the operation of suction cleaner nozzles has been made difficult and sometimes impossible on high pile rugs and the like, by the force of the suction causing threads forming the rug pile to be drawn into the intake aperture of the cleaner nozzle to such a degree that the intake aperture of the cleaner nozzle embeds itself into the rug surface and becomes substantially locked in place. This difficulty is commonly overcome in practice by stopping the suction or by tilting the tool in its operation so that one side of the mouth of the nozzle is deeply embedded in. the rug pile as a bearing face and the other side of the mouth of the nozzle is held substantially above the surface of the rug pile with the result that the major part of the air intake is drawn around the high side of the mouth of the nozzle which results in an uneven, improper and incomplete cleaning of the rug.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improvement in suction cleaner nozzles whereby the likelihood that the intake aperture of the cleaner nozzle will lock itself to the surface being cleaned is diminished.

Another object is to provide an improvement in suction cleaner nozzles for making more easy and practical the proper operation thereof.

Another object is to provide an improved suction cleaner nozzle that is of strong and durable construction and that is of practical and inexpensive manufacture.

With the above and other objects in view that will be apparent from the following detailed description, the present invention may be said to consist in certain features of construction and combinations of parts which will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains.

In the drawing, which shows illustrative embodiments of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a suction cleaner nozzle embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the cleaner nozzle shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4' is a front elevation of the cleaner nozzle shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a plan' View of a suction cleaner nozzle having a plurality of suction intake apertures embodying the present invention;

Fig. 6 is a section taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a plan View of a nozzle embodying a modified form of the present invention;

Fig. 8 is a section taken along the line 8-8 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a plan View of the nozzle shown in Figs. 1-4 inclusive, with elongated air admitting, holes in the shoe to lighten the construction;

Fig. 10 is a plan view of a nozzle embodying the invention by the securing thereto of a separable shoe by cap screws;

Fig. 11 is a section taken along the line H-H of Fig. 10.

In the nozzle construction shown in Figs. 14 inclusive, of the accompanying drawing, the suction cleaner nozzle 9 has a peripheral flange 2 that surrounds the air intake aperture. The flange 2 has a continuous, polished, surface contacting face 3 of slightly curved section to facilitate movement over the surface being cleaned. The nozzle 5 has a bearing shoe l that is cast integral therewith and that extends laterally of the nozzle from adjacent the flange 2. The polished surface contacting face 3 of the peripheral flange 2 preferably extends continuously over the surface contacting face of the bearing shoe l. The surface contacting face of the shoe 4% is beveled at its edge portion or is shaped to curve slightly upwardly at its edge to provide a proper sled action over the surface being cleaned, to minimize friction and to prevent the leaving of marks on a rug pile or on other surface being cleaned, from use of the nozzle.

A uniform supply of air around the peripheral flange 2 thruout its length on the shoe carrying side of the intake aperture of the cleaner nozzle, is provided by a plurality of air admitting holes 5 that pass thru the shoe 4 and that are of any desired shape or design. Suitable means for the uniform distribution of the air admitted thru the holes 5 is preferably provided by a groove 6 that extends longitudinally of the surface contacting face of the shoe 6 adjacent the shoe carrying side of the flange 2, in such a manner that the proper suction seal of the intake aperture of the suction nozzle is neither altered nor impaired.

The shoe 4 is of sufiicient size to support the nozzle in its proper cleaning position without undue crushing of the rug pile l against the warp and Woof 8 of the rug. The size of the shoe 4 is of suificient area as to prevent the nozzle being drawn into the rug pile by the suction of the in take aperture of the cleaner nozzle.

The suction cleaner nozzle 9, shown in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawing, has a plurality of intake apertures for different character of cleaning. Nozzles of this class are rotatable on the handle for bringing one or the other of the intake apertures into operative relation with the surface being cleaned. With this class of suction cleaner nozzle, a shoe 4 is shown as cast structurally integral with the nozzle at each of the intake apertures and each shoe is substantially the same as in the previously described construction. As applied to this class of suction cleaner nozzle, a portion of the shoe 4 is cut away substantially midway of the ends of the shoe for permitting suitable clearance for the cleaner handle as it is rotated.

A modified form of shoe construction is shown in Figs. '7 and 8 of the drawing. In this construction the shoe comprises a plurality of fingers i that are shown as cast structurally integral with the nozzle l and as extending laterally from adjacent the peripheral flange 2 of the nozzle. A groove H is preferably positioned in the polished and curved surface contacting face l2 adjacent the base of the fingers If! to provide for the uniform distribution of air admitted between the fingers. The groove I may be omitted entirely however, where the bases of the fingers I!) are spaced sufliciently to permit a uniform distribution of air about the flange 2 on the shoe carrying side of the nozzle. The fingers IB are of ample strength to prevent being bent or broken in service.

The shoe shown in Fig. 9 of the drawing, is substantially the same as that shown in Figs. 1-4 inclusive, except that the air admitting holes are enlarged for the purpose of decreasing the weight of the shoe. The enlarged air admitting holes 13 may take a variety of forms so long as they do not alter the operative function of the construction. In this construction the groove 6 may also be completely omitted if desired, where the apertures I3 are of suflicient width to provide ample air distribution and proper operation of the tool.

A form of shoe [4 that is made separable from the cleaner nozzle, is shown as applied to a conventional cleaner nozzle I, in Figs. 10 and 11 of the drawing. The separable shoe [4 is secured to the cleaner nozzle in any suitable manner, as by having an upturned edge portion l5 that is apertured for the reception of cap screws I6 that make threaded engagement with the side of the suction nozzle in drilled and tapped screw receiving holes formed in the side thereof. In the construction shown, a plurality of air admitting holes H in the shoe open into a groove l8 on the polished surface contacting face I9 of the shoe. The holes I! and groove l8 together provide for the admission and uniform distribution of air on the shoe carrying side of the nozzle. The shoe l4 also has a shoulder 20 that engages the upper face of the flange 2 and that strengthens and makes more rigid the shoe mounting.

The separable shoe may be made in any desired shape with or without the groove [8 and may be adapted to various types of cleaner nozzles. The separable shoe may also be made of pressed or shaped sheet metal or it may be cast in proper form for its application to the various types of cleaner nozzles in common use, in addition to those described herein.

The use of the shoe on the intake aperture of a suction cleaner nozzle provides an increased.

bearing face against a surface being cleaned, such as a rug pile whereby the cleaner nozzle may be operated continuously in its proper cleaning position with respect to the surface of the rug. In the proper position of the intake aperture of the cleaner nozzle, air is drawn uniformly about all parts of the peripheral flange of the intake aperture in substantially equal and uniform rate of flow and the pile of the rug is cleaned uniformly and properly, which is not afforded in the practical use of the older forms of cleaner nozzles.

It is to be understood that the particular forms of frictional shoe and cleaner nozzles shown and described, and their particular adaptations and use, are presented for purposes of explanation and illustration, and that various modifications in the shoe and nozzle, such as in their shapes, applications and the mode of mounting the shoe on the nozzle, as well as the uses to which the article may be put, may be made without departing from my invention, as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A suction cleaner nozzle having an elongated intake aperture and an air conducting handle rigidly secured to said nozzle and projecting substantially from the top and extending away from one side thereof, a narrow peripheral flange extending continuously around said elongated intake aperture of said nozzle and sufficiently narrow so that the intake aperture of said nozzle may be pressed closely into a corner to be cleaned and said flange having a surface contacting face extending continuously around said intake aperture and offering substantially uniform frictional resistance thruout its length to a continuous flow of air entering said intake aperture, and a bearing shoe extending longitudinally of the side of said nozzle from which said nozzle handle extends and in rigid relation therewith and serving to substantially uniformly space the opposite nozzle ends of said surface contacting face above a surface to be cleaned when said nozzle is tilted about said bearing shoe as fulcrum on the lowering of said handle and said bearing shoe being apertured for the admission of air therethru adjacent a portion of said peripheral flange.

2. A suction cleaner nozzle having an elongated intake aperture and an air conducting handle rigidly secured to and projecting from substantially the top of said nozzle and extending away from one side thereof, a narrow peripheral flange extending continuously around said elongated intake aperture of said nozzle and sufficiently narrow so that said intake aperture of said nozzle may be pressed closely into a corner to be cleaned and having a surface contacting flange face forming a part of said flange and extending continuously around said intake aperture and offering substantially uniform frictional resistance thruout its length to a continuous flow of air entering said intake aperture, and a bearing shoe extending longitudinally of the side of said nozzle from which the said nozzle handle extends and in rigid relationship therewith and serving to substantially uniformly space the opposite nozzle ends of said surface contacting flange face above a surface to be cleaned when said nozzle is tilted about said bearingshoe as fulcrum on the lowering of said handle and said bearing shoe having a curved surface contacting shoe face spaced from said flange face for admitting air therebetween.

3. A suction cleaner nozzle having an elongated intake aperture and a handle rigidly connected to said nozzle and extending away from one side thereof, a narrow peripheral flange extending continuously around said intake aperture of said nozzle and said flange being sufiiciently narrow so that said intake aperture of said nozzle may be pressed closely into a corner to be cleaned, a bearing shoe extending longitudinally of the side of said nozzle on the side thereof from which the said nozzle handle extends and serving to substantially uniformly space the opposite nozzle ends of said flange from a surface to be cleaned when said nozzle is tilted about said bearing shoe as fulcrum on the pressing down of said handle, and air distributing means interposed between said flange and said shoe face portion of said bearing shoe.

4. A suction cleaner nozzle having an elongated intake aperture and a handle rigidly connected with said nozzle and projecting substantially from the top and extending away from one side thereof, a narrow peripheral flange forming a part of said nozzle and extending continuously around said elongated intake aperture in said nozzle and said flange being sufliciently narrow so that said intake aperture may be pressed closely against a wall at its junction with a floor being cleaned, a bearing shoe extending longi tudinally of said nozzle on the side thereof away from which said handle extends and serving to substantially uniformly space the opposite nozzle ends of said flange above a surface to be cleaned when said nozzle is tilted about said bearing shoe as fulcrum on the pressing down of said handle whereupon a continuous flow of air into said intake aperture is uninterrupted irrespective of a supporting pressure being applied to said bearing shoe and said bearing shoe having a shoe face portion spaced from said flange, and an air admitting and distributing groove interposed between said flange and said shoe face portion of said bearing shoe.

5. A suction cleaner nozzle having an elongated intake aperture and a handle rigidly connected therewith and projecting from the top and ex- 3 tending substantially away from one side thereof, a narrow peripheral surface contacting flange forming a part of said nozzle and extending continuously around said intake aperture in said nozzle and sufliciently narrow on the side of said nozzle away from said handle so that said intake aperture of said nozzle may be pressed closely toward an angular surface to be cleaned and said flange being of substantially uniform frictional resistance to a continuous flow of air entering said intake aperture throughout the length of said flange, a surface frictionally contacting bearing means in rigid relation with said surface contacting flange and extending longitudinally of said nozzle on the side away from which said handle extends and serving to substantially uniformly space the opposite nozzle ends of said surface contacting flange from a surface to be cleaned when said nozzle is rotated about said bearing means on the lowering of said handle and maintaining said continuous flow of air independently of the application of a supporting surface to said bearing means, and air admitting and distributing means interposed between said flange means and said bearing means.

6. A vacuum cleaner nozzle for use on a high pile rug, in combination with a nozzle handle, said nozzle having a narrow intake orifice flange of substantially uniform width extending continuously around an elongated intake orifice in said nozzle and having a rug contacting face portion of substantially uniform frictional resistance thruout its length to air entering said intake orifice, a bearing shoe in rigid relation with and extending along one side only of said nozzle and serving as the sole support for said nozzle on the lowering of said handle whereby the opposite ends of the elongated intake orifice of the nozzle are spaced substantially equidistant from said rug, and an air distributing channel disposed on the bearing shoe side of said nozzle flange for the substantially uniform distribution of air entering said channel, and an aperture in said bearing shoe for supplying air to said channel.

EDWIN L. SMITH. 

